Marcus's Story

Marcus, 25, from Rossendale and Darwen in the North West, wanted to become a teacher in a region facing critical shortages. But when he looked into training, he discovered that HM Treasury and the Department for Education had slashed teacher training bursaries for his subject area, despite desperate need for educators locally. The classrooms were there. Qualified graduates like Marcus were ready to teach. What was missing was Westminster's political will to fund the connection between willing workers and urgent need. This episode explores how Treasury spending rules force departments to compete for fixed pots of money, as though the government that creates the currency must first find it somewhere. Blocked Britain investigates why talent goes unused while communities suffer. Views expressed are the presenter's own and do not represent any organization.